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| Kayla Etheridge, Co-Artistic Director of Arizona Regional Theatre |
From Phoenix Theatre, who is about to celebrate their 100th anniversary, to Mesa Encore Theatre, who has been presenting productions in the Valley for decades, Phoenix is known for having dozens of theatre companies that have been around for many years.
So when a new theatre company comes along with a rich assortment of productions planned for their inaugural season, and not just one or two classic shows that are constantly produced each year, you take notice.
Such is the case with Arizona Regional Theatre, or, cutely, and smartly, A.R.T. for short.
The impetus of Kayla Etheridge and Kimberly Sheperd, who both went to school in town and met each other when they performed in a show together, Arizona Regional Theatre kicks off their premiere season in just a few weeks on September 28th with the Broadway smash musical Jekyll & Hyde. Other offerings this year include the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal, the crowd pleasing Little Shop of Horrors and the hilarious, yet rarely seen, satirical comedy As Bees in Honey Drown.
I had the chance to ask Kayla and Kimberly, Co-Artistic Directors of A.R.T., some questions about how they formed the company, their plans for the future, and also how their experience working on stage and behind the scenes on numerous past productions will help in their ability to contribute to theatre in the Valley
Kayla, what was the impetus to start your own theatre company?
"We both worked in theatre all our lives and knew that it was in the cards at some point. It was a dream of both of ours to do this and the timing was finally right. We felt that we as young women had a unique perspective as business owners. We also saw that the number of talented people in the valley was disproportionate to the number of roles available. There is so much talent here and the work can be scarce, so we saw that as an opportunity to employ more actors and showcase more of the Valley’s talent."
"Arizona Regional Theatre is committed to creating opportunities for local talent and fostering relationships within Arizona’s growing theatre community. We are committed to professionalizing theatre in our community and providing opportunities, not just in performance, but in the technical and creative aspects of theatre as well. Most creative people have interests in more than one aspect of their craft. Many actors want to direct, dancers want to choreograph or maybe even build a set, who knows? We want to foster these artists’ growth by allowing them opportunities outside their usual repertoire."
I know that you both went to school here in Phoenix, and that you each have experience in a range of theatrical roles. Where did you and Kimberly meet and what aspects from your background and / or experience are you finding is most important in running your own theatre company?
"We met while performing in a local production. We find our experience as performers, specifically female performers, is vital to our ability to run a theatre company. We have been through the auditions, the callbacks, the rehearsal processes and we have taken from those experiences many things we want to emulate and some things we want to improve upon. We know what things can be frustrating for actors and are doing our best to anticipate those things and correct them before they happen."
Your inaugural season includes a wide range of shows. What can you tell us about what was behind your decision in picking each one?
"This season we stuck to shows that we personally liked but also that we didn’t feel were overdone. We also tried to keep a healthy balance of popular shows and shows that aren’t as mainstream. We asked the actors of the community which shows they wanted to do that they hadn’t had the chance to. This is a process we plan to continue each year by inviting everyone who was involved creatively in our past seasons to pitch ideas for shows they are passionate about."
Kimberly, I know that for Next to Normal you have plans around providing education for the mental health components of that show and also working with behavioral health organizations in town. What can you tell us about your plans?
"We are working with a number of different organizations to host talkbacks after several of the performances, which will feature interviews with mental health professionals and those living personally with their own challenges. We have an author who will be signing copies of her book and giving a talk, as well as organizations setting up take home bags with information and educational resources. These organizations will be speaking with the cast about their character studies and the cast will be involved in talkbacks and seminars discussing what it is like for them to dig into these characters. Overall, we’re excited that our director, Chris Chavez, is so passionate about this show and the world of mental health that he’s pioneering our charge in creating a piece of beautiful theatre that will positively impact and provide valuable resources to the community."
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| Kimberly Sheperd, Co-Artistic Director of Arizona Regional Theatre |
"We can contribute to the community by offering artists in the valley another place to share their talents, while trying to foster a more inclusive, less competitive community amongst the theaters in town. We don’t see more theaters as being more competition, but as a way for all of us who are so passionate about the arts to do what we love, and hopefully start making a living doing it. As a theatre, we’re also looking at our season lineups from a few different perspectives. What do audience members want to see, that hasn’t been done recently? What shows are the actors, directors, choreographers, technical/creative designers in the community passionate about? When the people creating the show are passionate about what they’re creating, the audience can tell."
What long term goals do you have for your company, or what do you see happening in the next five years for A.R.T.?
"Our five-year plan is to build our own state-of-the-art theater that we will design and outfit as we see fit. Also, improving actor compensation and the ability to offer EMC points are in the future. We would like to offer more equity contracts and see more people eligible to join the union. We would love to help in providing the large acting community a way to make a living and have great benefits while doing what they love to do!"
CLICK HERE for more information on Arizona Regional Theatre
Congratulations Kayla
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